Copyright journal
THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) branded as ‘false and misleading’ stories circulating online which alleges that a Rolls-Royce vehicle earlier seized from the Discaya family by the bureau was seen being driven around Metro Manila. According to BOC deputy chief of staff and spokesman Atty. Chris Noel Bendijo, the said Rolls-Royce, along with other luxury vehicles confiscated from the Discaya family, remains under the official custody of the BOC. He added that all seized vehicles are securely stored under the strict supervision of the Customs Police, safeguarded by physical barriers, security personnel and inventory controls that prevent any unauthorized access, movement or release. “It must be emphasized that the plate number of the Rolls-Royce featured in the viral post, NFG 1949, is entirely different from that of the seized vehicle under the Discaya case, which ends with the digits 889. This clearly disproves the claim circulating online,” Bendijo explained. He also said that no seized property may be removed or handled without proper authority and complete documentation and any unauthorized release, tampering or movement of seized items constitutes a serious violation punishable under existing customs laws and regulations, including administrative and criminal penalties. Bendijo stressed that under the new leadership of Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno, the BOC continues to strengthen transparency, accountability, and good governance. “The agency remains steadfast in ensuring that all seized properties are safeguarded in accordance with customs laws and regulations. The BOC thanks the public for bringing such matters to its attention, affirming that it is doing its best to maintain integrity and public trust in all its operations, he added. Meanwhile, the BOC strongly urges the public to rely only on official BOC sources for verified information. “False claims, fabricated stories, and other malicious content shared online only mislead the public. For clarifications and verified updates, the public may visit the official BOC website at customs.gov.ph or follow the official social media pages of the Bureau, he added.
